A property in Vanier has been approved for rezoning to allow the Ottawa Humane Society to turn a former post office building into a new veterinary clinic.
Last week, Ottawa’s city council approved a zoning amendment for 258 Durocher St., the proposed site for the OHS’s new Community Veterinary Centre. In a press release last Thursday, OHS said it does not yet own the 3,930-square-metre property, which is close to Montreal Road and the Vanier Parkway, but with the successful rezoning, it expects to take ownership in early 2026.
The existing single-storey building, which once served as a Canada Post mail depot, will be retrofitted for the project, which will also include a retail store and training centre.
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The project is expected to cost $9.4 million, according to the release, which also said that OHS is seeking community donations and leadership gifts to support construction.
In response to the application, the Vanier Community Association said in a letter to the city that it considered the site to be “a long under-utilized community space” and added that the proposed clinic would “contribute to the neighbourhood as a community social asset.”
The clinic will provide subsidized care for pets with income-qualified owners.
“Ottawa has already built a strong safety net for pets,” said president and CEO Sharon Miko in the release. “But even still there are more animals falling through the cracks. The Community Veterinary Clinic is the next step in further strengthening Ottawa’s total ecosystem of care for animals.”
The number of animals surrendered to OHS has been rising, according to Miko, in part because some families cannot afford to care for them.
“We just can’t keep watching animals – and their people – continue to suffer,” she said in an email to OBJ. “We can’t wait. We’re really counting on our community’s support to bring this vision to life.”
OHS said it hopes to open the new clinic in late 2027.
In addition to veterinary services, the facility will house the organization’s pet food bank, wellness clinics and dog training classes. In a blog post about the announcement, Miko called it “a complete hub for animal well-being.”
The organization currently runs a facility at 245 West Hunt Club Rd., which Miko said is difficult for some pet owners to reach due to a lack of public transit. By contrast, she said the Vanier site is more centrally located with better access to bus routes.
“The clinic will keep more pets with the people who love them, allowing the shelter to be even more prepared for the animals who truly have no other option,” said Miko.
